Illuminated suitcase



Marchal, 1925.

@Hornung P'atented Mar. 31., 1925.

' UNITED ASTAT-lss PATENT' orales.

C'HALMERS L. JOHNSTON, 0F BRIDGIEPOR'JI', NEBRASKA.

ILLUMINATED SUI'IJCASE.V

`Application filed March 7, 1924. Serial No. 697,566.

A To all lz2/1,0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHALMEns L. JoIiN- s'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Morrill, State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Illuminated` Suitcase; and I do hereby declare the following to be a f ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

The invention relates to suit cases, and has for its object to provide a suit case with means whereby, when the suit case is opened, an electric lamp therein may be lighted, thereby illuminating the contents thereof, and rendering it relatively easy to locate articles in the suit case. A

A further object is to provide one end of the suit case with an electric lamp controllable from adjacent the handle of the suit case, thereby allowing the pavement in front of the carrier of the suit case to be illuminated when desired. Also to provide shutter means for protecting said electric lam lith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes 1n the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the sco-pe of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional form of suit case, showing the lights applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through one end of the suit case and the light carried thereby.

Figure 4 is an enlarged `ront'elevation of the light carried by the end of the suit case.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a conventional form of suit case, which suit case is formed from Vsections 2 of conventional construction, which are hingedly connected together at 3. lThe upper side of one ofthe suit case sectlons 2 is provided with a handle member 4 adapted to be grasped by thev operator when carry- `The lamp is obscured from ing a suit case from place to place. It has been found that when a suit case is opened, especially in a dark room or dark place, it is hard to locate small articles therein. To obviate this difficulty the inner side of one of the sections 2 of the suit case is provided with an electric lamp 4, which lamp is Vin circuit with thebattery 5 through the wires 6, and which circuit may be opened and closed by the slidable switch 7 when it is desired to light the lamp 4 and illuminate the interior of the suit case.

One end of one-of the sections 2 of the suit case is provided with an opening 8, in which is disposed a flanged ring 9, and between which flanged ring 9 and the re- Hector 10, the lens 11 is disposed and held by the dished member 12, which is engaged by an annular retaining member 13. Secured to the outer side of the :flanged ring 10 by means of the securing bolts 14, which extend through the ring 9 and the retaining ring 13, is an annular member 15, the lower side of which is provided with an ear 16, through which the lower securing bolt 14 passes, and the upper side with an ear 17, through which the pivotal bolts 18 of the segmentally shaped guard plates 19 extend. Plates 19 are disposed between the ring 15 and the flanged ring 9, and when in open position allow the passage of light rays from the electric lamp 20, in a manner whereby light may be reflected on the side walk ahead of the person, while walking. v view, and the lens 11 protected when the guard plates 19 are in closed position as shown in Figure 4. The lamp-20 is in circuit with the battery 5 through the wires 21, and switches 22 and 23, and when the switch 23 is closed within the suit case, it is obvious that the circuit controllin the lamp 20 may be permanently broken within the suit case in a manner whereby it can not be controlled by the switch 22, thereby preventing unauthorized persons from illuminating the lamp 20 and 4running down the battery. l From the above it will be seen that i1 luminating means is provided for the interior of the suit case, and for projecting` rays of light forwardly of the suit case when being carried. 'lt will also be seen that a control switch is provided adjacent the handle of the' suit case -where it may be easily manipulated by the linger of the person carrying the suit case, and the circuit maybe broken inside the suit case for preventing unauthorized persons from manipulating or lighting the lamp carried at the forward end of the suit case.

The invention having been set forthwhat is claimed as new and useful is 1.v The combination with a suit case wall having an annular opening therein, an annular flanged ring disposed in said opening, a lens disposed in said opening, a dished reflector disposed in said opening and engaging the lens, a lamp carried by the reflector, a dislied casing disposed on the rear side of the re'ector, an annular dan ed ring secured to the inner side of the wal `of the suit case and engaging the casing, seglncntall-y shaped plates pivoted adjacent one of their corners and normally closing the opening in the wall and a ring secured to the wall outside thereof and behind which 2. The combination with a suit case wall having an annular opening therein, an annular flanged member disposed in said opening, a lens disposed in said opening, a dished `reiector'en aging the lens,a lamp carried by vsaid re ector, a casing disposed between which ring and the wall the seg` mentally shaped plates are disposed and are movablee 'In testimony whereof I have signed my the segmentally shaped plates are disposed.

name to this specilication in the presence of 45 two subscribing Witnesses.

CHALMERS L. JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

' MARK SPANoGm,

ARTHUR E. WEBSTER. 

